Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Compiled from the record with an editorTuesday: Aledo ISD trustees meet at 6 p.m. to vote on $197,333.39 in cellular antenna systems for Annetta Elementary and McAnally Middle School and a $55,155 GoGuardian renewal, with the superintendent's 2026-27 contract last; the district's fall MAP screeners put 494 of 4,212 students in grades 3-8 below or well below average in reading; and Willow Park's council, also at 6, would commit $75,000 in matching funds to a state block-grant bid for a future water project
Why it matters. Aledo ISD posted the price tags, quotes and test results Monday afternoon, the day before the votes, and residents can speak before trustees act.
Sunny today with a high near 79; no NWS alerts. Burn ban: still on, unchanged since Sunday. Early voting for Nov. 3 runs through Oct. 30.
$197,333.39
what Aledo ISD would spend on cellular distributed antenna systems, cell-signal repeaters the district says are needed "for safety related purposes," at two campuses with weak coverage; it has applied for a 2026 COPS School Violence Prevention Program grant to pay for them More
Source: Aledo ISD board meeting template, "Consider Approval of Purchase of Cellular Distributed Antenna Systems," for Oct. 20, 2026, posted Oct. 19 on BoardBook
Weather
Tuesday: Sunny. High near 79, with temperatures falling to around 77 in the afternoon. East southeast wind 0 to 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 54. Southeast wind 0 to 5 mph. No watches, warnings or advisories were active for Aledo on the NWS alerts feed updated at 5:21 a.m. CDT.
Source: National Weather Service forecast for Aledo (gridpoint FWD 59,101), generated 5:22 a.m. CDT Oct. 20, and NWS active alerts for 32.6957 N, 97.6022 W, read Oct. 20
The record
What tonight's Aledo ISD purchases cost: $197,333.39 for cell-signal systems at two campuses, and $55,155 to renew GoGuardian, the software that filters and watches district student devices
The antenna memo from Police Chief David Stevens says the district "has multiple campuses with underdeveloped nearby infrastructure for cellular coverage" and that two have been picked as priority locations; trustees first discussed it Sept. 22. It gives the costs as "$83,599.71 and $113,733.68, respectively, for a total of $197,333.39." The attached BearCom quotes are for Annetta Elementary ($81,164.77, or $83,599.71 if paid by credit card) and McAnally Middle School ($113,396.50, a quote marked valid until Aug. 31). If the federal grant doesn't come through, the memo says, "we are prepared to find an alternative funding source." The district is also assessing coverage at its other campuses.
The GoGuardian renewal, presented by Chief Technology Officer Brooks Moore, comes to the board because board policy requires a vote on purchases of $50,000 or more and the "final renewal cost exceeds that threshold"; it was left out of the August software renewals because it wasn't expected to. The $55,155 from the 2026-27 general fund covers internet filtering on district devices, teachers' classroom controls, and GoGuardian Beacon, which the memo says is "designed to identify online activity that may indicate a student is at risk of self-harm or other safety concerns" and alerts district staff.
Source: Aledo ISD board meeting templates for the cellular antenna purchase and the GoGuardian renewal, BearCom quotes and GoGuardian quote, BoardBook, posted Oct. 19, read Oct. 20
Fall screeners: 12% of the 4,212 Aledo ISD students tested in grades 3-8 scored below or well below average in reading, and 12% of 3,772 in math
The beginning-of-year MAP results, in tonight's instructional focus presentation, sort students into three bands. Reading: 70% (2,957) above average, 18% (761) average and 12% (494) below, of whom 158 were well below. Math: 71% (2,686) above average, 17% (645) average and 12% (441) below, 153 of them well below. Eighth grade had the most students below average in both subjects, 132 in reading and 102 in math. Of 429 eighth graders who took the algebra screener, 36 (8%) scored below average.
The district says MAP scores feed an individual IXL study plan for each student, instructional specialists monitor those scoring below and well below, and students significantly below grade level are reviewed by a campus committee for the most intensive (Tier 3) interventions. Pre-K and K-2 students take separate screeners (CIRCLE and mCLASS) whose results appear in the presentation as charts.
Source: Aledo ISD, District Instructional Focus agenda item and "Board Meeting 10.20.26" presentation, BoardBook, posted Oct. 19, read Oct. 20
The superintendent's contract is the last vote tonight; the September minutes on the consent agenda show trustees took up her contract in a Sept. 22 closed session and her 2025-26 evaluation at a Sept. 30 special meeting
The Sept. 30 special meeting with Superintendent Susan Bohn's end-of-year evaluation ran in closed session from 6:01 to 9:04 p.m., and the meeting adjourned with no action recorded, the minutes show; the Sept. 22 closed session, which also covered legal advice, real property and a student matter, ran from 7:49 to 9:21 p.m. On Sept. 22 trustees also voted 6-0 to buy school buses with 2023 bond money and to approve class-size waivers. Resolution 10202026-1, donating district real property to Parker County, still has no backup document on BoardBook, so the land isn't identified. Meeting: 1008 Bailey Ranch Rd.; public comment comes before the votes.
Source: Aledo ISD Board of Trustees, Sept. 22 regular and Sept. 30 special meeting minutes and Oct. 20, 2026 agenda, BoardBook, read Oct. 20
Willow Park council tonight: the 10-lot Alameda Estates plat would bring one-acre custom homes to Ranch House Road, and a block-grant bid would commit $75,000 of city money with its source still undecided
The staff memo says the 12.032-acre tract, owned by Boggy Land Co., LLC per the plat, is zoned R-1 and has an unoccupied house that is to be removed; Planning and Zoning approved the plat Oct. 13 on condition that all staff comments are met, and staff recommends approval. The grant resolution for a 2027-28 Texas Community Development Block Grant pledges "$75,000 in matching funds" toward a future water project, "with the specific usage and funding source to be determined prior to any award," and commits at least 51% of the money to the region's first-priority activities. Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Crummel's item asks the council to set a budget for reimbursing city cell phone fees and adopt a mobile-device policy.
The closed-session list includes the police chief position (the council held in-person interviews for the job in a Sept. 15 closed session, its minutes show), the city manager's annual review and economic development talks with James Assets Development. The agenda puts the meeting at City Hall, 120 El Chico Trl., Suite A; the city's meetings page lists 6 p.m. and no location. Speaker forms are due to the city secretary five minutes before the start.
Source: City of Willow Park, City Council Meeting Oct. 20, 2026 agenda and packet, posted Oct. 14, and Willow Park Meetings Hub, read Oct. 20
Unchanged since Monday: the Library Board still meets Thursday at 6 p.m. on the library-card and materials-review rules the Ledger reported Monday; CivicClerk still has no minutes from the Oct. 15 Aledo council, Oct. 8 P&Z or Oct. 13 steering committee; no new storefront sales-tax permits; the Bearcats (4-3, 3-1) still host Weatherford Friday at 7
Burn ban: still on, unchanged since Sunday. The Forest Service restamped its list 10/19/2026 8:26:19 AM with the same 149 counties, Parker, Tarrant, Palo Pinto and Wise among them.
Source: City of Aledo CivicClerk calendar; Texas Comptroller active sales-tax permits; MaxPreps Aledo football schedule; Texas A&M Forest Service burn-ban county list; all read Oct. 20
Coming up
11 a.m.: chamber ribbon cutting, Mary Kay Pink Cadillac September, LLC, 100 Chuckwagon Trail, Willow Park; 6 p.m.: Aledo ISD trustees and Willow Park City Council; 6:30 p.m.: volleyball vs. Sam Houston
What you can do. Aledo ISD takes public comment before its consent agenda and votes.
Source: Parker County Chamber of Commerce; Aledo ISD BoardBook; Willow Park agenda; Aledo ISD Athletics, read Oct. 20
11 a.m.: Chesmar Homes ribbon cutting and VIP preview of Rio Vista at Kelly Ranch, 424 Shadowfax Drive, until 2 p.m.; 6 p.m.: Aledo Library Board and strategic-plan work session; 6 p.m.: swimming at Grapevine/Colleyville Heritage
What you can do. The Chesmar preview is listed as free.
Source: Parker County Chamber of Commerce; City of Aledo CivicClerk; Aledo ISD Athletics, read Oct. 20
Last day for mail-ballot applications to be received; 6:30 p.m.: volleyball vs. Lamar; 7 p.m.: Bearcats vs. Weatherford, the Pink Out Game
Source: Texas Secretary of State; Aledo ISD Athletics, read Oct. 20
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Fall Fest at The District at Willow Park; 11 a.m.: Mr. Gatti's Pizza ribbon cutting, 2801 E. I-20 (inside Walmart), Hudson Oaks
Source: Willow Park Oct. 20 council agenda; Parker County Chamber of Commerce, read Oct. 20
UIL Region I-6A cross country: Aledo ISD Athletics lists varsity and JV at the regional meet on both Oct. 26 and Oct. 27, times TBA
What you can do. Check the district's athletics calendar before traveling.
Source: Aledo ISD Athletics, read Oct. 20
Last day of early voting; 7 p.m.: Bearcats at Arlington Sam Houston
Source: Texas Secretary of State; MaxPreps, read Oct. 20
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Willow Park's second comprehensive-plan public workshop, a come-and-go event at City Hall
Source: Willow Park Oct. 20 council agenda, community-interest list
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